Mar 18, 2024

HYUNDAI IS #5 CAR SELLER

 


 

5. Hyundai Motor Company (OTC:HYMTF)         

2023 Sales Volume (million): 4.22

Hyundai Motor Company (OTC:HYMTF), the South Korean car company, has been killing it in 2023. They sold a whopping 4,216,680 cars worldwide, up by 6.9% from 2022. Despite all the global finance fuzz with rising interest rates and inflation, Hyundai did some serious business, especially in Korea, North America, Europe, and India. Hyundai Motor Company (OTC:HYMTF) sales shot up, thanks to new SUVs like the new Kona and SANTA FE, and expanding their electric vehicle range. They sold 762,077 vehicles in Korea, a jump of 10.6% year-on-year. Their overseas sales hit 3,454,603 units, a slick 6.2% increase from last year.

The others in the top 5 are: 

Ford, General Motors, Volkswagon & Toyota.

The only U.S. Hyundai plant is located in Montgomery.

Gaza Child Deaths tops 13,000

Gaza War Kills More Children Than In 4 Years Of Worldwide Conflict: UN  Agency UNRWA

, opens new t WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The U.N. children's agency said on Sunday over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza in Israel's offensive, adding many kids were suffering from severe malnutrition and did not "even have the energy to cry."
"Thousands more have been injured or we can't even determine where they are. They may be stuck under rubble ... We haven't seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday.
"I've been in wards of children who are suffering from severe anemia malnutrition, the whole ward is absolutely quiet. Because the children, the babies ... don't even have the energy to cry."
Russell said there were "very great bureaucratic challenges" moving trucks into Gaza for aid and assistance.
International criticism has mounted on Israel due to the death toll of the war, the starvation crisis in Gaza, and allegations of blocking aid deliveries into the enclave.

Mar 17, 2024

CBS: Free Anti-Theft Upgrades for Kia/Hyundai

 https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/if-you-have-a-kia-or-hyundai-take-advantage-of-this-free-software-update-to-prevent-theft/

 


 

Montgomery Made Hyundai Model Changing

 Story is HERE.

 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Refreshed Pickup Will Put On A Braver Face

Cold Snap Ahead

Freeze Warning

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
140 PM CDT Sun Mar 17 2024

ALZ011>015-017>050-181200-
/O.UPG.KBMX.FZ.A.0001.240319T0600Z-240319T1400Z/
/O.NEW.KBMX.FZ.W.0002.240319T0600Z-240319T1400Z/
Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-
Cherokee-Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-
Talladega-Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-
Coosa-Tallapoosa-Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-
Montgomery-Macon-Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour-
Including the cities of Oneonta, Demopolis, Centre, Talladega,
Prattville, Clanton, Opelika, Jasper, Sylacauga, Fayette,
Tuskegee, Rockford, Tallassee, Birmingham, Hamilton, Centreville,
Gadsden, Hayneville, Troy, Eutaw, Columbiana, Carrollton,
Sulligent, Moundville, Union Springs, Eufaula, Selma, Ashland,
Auburn, Vernon, Heflin, Moody, Roanoke, Livingston, Alabaster,
Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Greensboro, Alexander City, Fort Deposit,
Valley, Hoover, Lanett, Linden, Phenix City, Double Springs,
Pelham, Marion, Dadeville, Pell City, Lafayette, Montgomery, and
Wetumpka
140 PM CDT Sun Mar 17 2024

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Freezing temperatures as low as 26 to 32 degrees.

* WHERE...All of central Alabama.

* WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
  sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
  plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes
they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.

Those that have in ground sprinkler systems should drain them and
cover above ground pipes to protect them from freezing.

&&

$$

89^GSatterwhite

Mar 16, 2024

O.M.G Read the comments of Alabama's SENIOR senator!

 “We’ve lost our moral values across the country. We’ve got to get back to the Constitution, and we have got to get back to the Bible. We’ve got to get God back in our country,” Tuberville said. “There’s not one Democrat that can tell you they stand up for God.”

 

 

“We’ve lost our Department of Justice. In most of the country, we don’t have a criminal justice system anymore. Nobody goes to jail, unless you’re an innocent person that really loves this country, then they’ll put you in jail,” Tuberville said. “We have never overcome a cult like we’re dealing with right now.”

 

Source: Salt Lake Tribune story

Mar 15, 2024

Name Change for USS Stennis?

From An NPR story 

John C. Stennis was the longest-serving senator from Mississippi. In office from 1947 to 1989, he earned the title father of the modern Navy, voting to approve nuclear aircraft carriers and subs. Stennis was also an ardent segregationist. He fought everything from the Voting Rights Act to creating a national holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Stennis also fought to keep the Navy segregated after President Harry Truman integrated the military in 1948. John Cordle is a retired captain.

Navy Awards $3B to Newport News Shipbuilding for USS John C. Stennis  Refueling - USNI News

Throwing Away His Vote!

 

"Pence Says He Won’t Endorse Trump, but Won’t Vote for Biden Either"

 NY Times story

Count that as a vote for trump!

Or is he voting for himself?

 

We're Poor, but not in the Top 5

 https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/5-poorest-states-in-the-us-in-2024-1273383/?singlepage=1

 Alabama manages to stay off the list of "Five Poorest" U.S. states.


 

 

 

Mar 14, 2024


 

 

 According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"The Atlanta metropolitan area has leapfrogged both Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth-largest metropolitan region, according to newly released population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The population in Atlanta’s 29-county region increased a little more than 1% to 6.3 million between 2022 and 2023, gaining nearly 69,000 residents. D.C. and Philly also grew, but not as fast as Atlanta."

Happy About a Federal Government Shutdown?

 Think about the Federal Employees who work in Alabama:

Alabama 39,264

Mar 13, 2024

April 20th in Montgomery!

 
The Inaugural Graetz Foundation Loving Literacy Community Fair - Empowering Children's Voices through Literacy

The Loving Literacy Community Fair will be a 1-day, 3-hour community event filled with children’s activities, food, entertainment, and book giveaways centered around the theme of literacy for young children and their families.  It will be held on the grounds of United Evangelical Lutheran Church (formerly Trinity Lutheran, the church served by the Graetzes during the Montgomery Bus Boycott years). 


The purpose of the Loving Literacy Community Fair is to:

  • Focus on literacy within the community—helping children see themselves as change agents of the future, igniting a love of reading and for creating social change

  • Showcase the Graetz Neighborhood of Montgomery, AL and its rich Civil Rights history—ensuring that history has a life that moves backward and forward

  • Honor the work of Rev. Robert and Jeannie Graetz and pick up the mantle—continuing their legacy


Especially in this age of book bans and attempts to dilute, distort, and erase the history of Black and Indigenous Americans and others, it is important to ensure that our children have opportunities to learn about and celebrate the Civil Rights history of the region, to continue to improve their literacy skills that will empower them for a lifetime, and to experience the powerful act of lifting their voices through spoken and written word, knowing that what they have to say matters and can change the world.


Please join us in making this a successful event! We appreciate the individuals and community organizations in Montgomery and beyond who have already offered their time, talents, and resources to make this happen, and we need you as well! 


Here's how you can help:

  • Join us at the event on April 20th and bring your family and friends!

  • Help spread the word! 

  • Volunteer on the day of the event

  • Help fund the event—No contribution is too small!


Your tax-deductible contribution will go toward new children's books to be given away at the fair (through New South Bookstore, who is providing a 20% discount on all books purchased for the Literacy Fair), children's activities, and refreshments/bottled water.  


Contributions can be made by donating online at the link here or by check made out to:


Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation

1558 Dunbar St.

Montgomery, AL 36106

Defending Alabama's Junior Senator

 Who other than Perry Hooper would praise Katie Britt's performance?

Katie Britt was a brilliant choice to respond to State of the Union

Perry O. Hooper Jr.
Special to the Advertiser
 
Oh that's special all right.

 

Mar 12, 2024

Once Again: The LSC Montgomery on the cutting list.

LCS Montgomery

 

4 San Diego-based warships slated for decommissioning in Navy’s new budget

 Locally, the Navy proposes to decommission the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown and two Independence-class littoral combat ships, the USS Jackson and USS Montgomery

 

(Source: San-Diego Union Tribune story)

Mar 10, 2024

An Example of 60 Minutes Excellence


 

 Anyone who knows me knows I am a longtime fan of the best TV News program on air: 60 Minutes.

Sure, the fact that I worked at CBS Stations in Birmingham and Montgomery is a factor, but I was reminded again tonight what makes the program what it is.

Watch The repeat broadcast of a report online. I'll post the online link so you can watch the incredible story of people from Ukraine---mothers and children--- going on a mountain climbing trip. Scott Pelley reports. Amazing storytelling. Typical of the program.

If you can't wait, here's a link to the transcript....BUT I encourage you to wait and watch the video. Incredible. 

HERE is the video.

WOW of the day?

 A NY Times story explores a discovery in biology by AI programs:

"Shirley Liu, a computational biologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, gave her a shot. Dr. Theodoris pulled data from 106 published human studies, which collectively included 30 million cells, and fed it all into a program called GeneFormer.

The model gained a deep understanding of how our genes behave in different cells. It predicted, for example, that shutting down a gene called TEAD4 in a certain type of heart cell would severely disrupt it. When her team put the prediction to the test in real cells called cardiomyocytes, the beating of the heart cells grew weaker."

          Heck, I can only barely understand exactly what they've accomplished, and I'm impressed!

FULL story in The Times is HERE.

Mar 9, 2024

The "reviews" continue.......

 ...and they're virtually ALL panning Alabama GOP Senator Katie Britt's bizarre reply speech after Joe Biden's State of The Union. Here's the headline on top of The Rolling Stone article:


Why R U Whispering?

‘What the Hell Am I Watching’: Republicans Torch Their Own SOTU Rebuttal 

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt was panned after delivering the most bizarre State of the Union rebuttal in recent memory...

 

 Katie Britt speaks in Washington DC 

And from Newsweek:

Republican Katie Britt Ruthlessly Mocked for SOTU Response

 and, of course SNL:

‘Saturday Night Live’ Feasts on the Bounty of the State of the Union

The Republican rebuttal delivered by Senator Katie Britt already struck many viewers as parody, making Scarlett Johansson’s job look easy.

 

 

Nukes in Montgomery? Does it Makes us a TARGET?

 Scientific American is reporting that the same model F35s arriving in Montgomery for service with the Alabama Air National Guard are being made nuclear-missile-ready elsewhere!

There's NO word on that happening here, but.....it could happen.

From the article:

"The F-35’s nuclear capability had aroused complaints by local groups opposing new F-35 bases, particularly in Vermont, on the basis they will influence the nuclear targeting plans of Russia and China. There’s a layer of ambiguity, as the Pentagon does not disclose which of its fighters squadrons are trained and equipped for nuclear delivery missions."

f 35a stealth jet carrying two b61 12 tactical nuclear bombs in its internal weapons bays

Mar 8, 2024

Rain

Alabama rain forecast

from ALGOP News Release

 "We literally saw the youngest female senator in the nation giving the rebuttal to the oldest sitting president in U.S. history."

 

As I've advised before...avoid using "literally"...chances are you will be using it incorrectly. If the GOP insisted on using it, it should be:

 "We saw literally the youngest female senator in the nation giving the rebuttal to the oldest sitting president in U.S. history."

 

 

    Katie Britt, With Smiles and Menace, Delivers G.O.P. Response to Biden

    The Alabama senator, 42, who has been floated as a possible running mate for Donald Trump, gave a tonally jarring speech that toggled between strained cheerfulness and a fierce glare.


  • (The N.Y. Times reaction to Alabama Senator)

Alabama Book Burner at 1819

 

“Burn the freaking books,” said Bryan Dawson, the president of 1819 News, a website that publishes articles and conservative political commentary. “Burn them. I don’t care.”

(Source HERE.)

Mar 6, 2024

US Navy's LCS ships Still Seeking a Role

 There another story out about problems with the LCS Ships, including the one named for Alabama's Capital City: The LCS Montgomery.

You can read the story HERE at The National Interest website. The storm does not mention the LCS Montgomery, but is still interesting.

Last we heard about the Montgomery, there was talk about it being sold to a friendly but foreign navy.  

The LCS Montgomery

 No matter what the future holds, the reputation of the ships stains the maker...the Austal plant in Mobile.

What Hubble and Webb are looking at. Right now!

NASA has posted links to what the two major in space observatories are looking at as you read this, and here they are!

 



About Tuesday's Top Court Election

I couldn't have written a better comment than this letter to The Advertiser:

Letter: Lady of Justice ignored in Alabama chief justice race
Jon Lee Finnegan
Special to the Advertiser

Justice Sarah Stewart's and Bryan Taylor's ads for the position of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice are the antithesis for what the Lady of Justice's symbols represent. The balanced scale weighing the evidence of both sides equally, the unsheathed sword a sign of transparency and not an implement of fear, the blindfold the impartiality that doesn't let outside factors, such as politics, wealth or fame, influence the decision and the snake representing evil and corruption being crushed.

Justice Stewart's "...protect our constitution from woke liberals," and Taylor's "If you like Trump's lawyers, you will love Bryan Taylor" clearly show what their beliefs and values are.

The court system should be where one feels safe and know they will be judged fairly and without bias.  Sadly, after watching these ads and seeing what is transpiring in other states and the nation, anyone whose viewpoints that are not of the justices' ilk will no doubt worry if they will be able to receive a fair verdict.

Jon Lee Finnegan, Prattville

Alabama is 3rd Most Polite State

 From Preply.com

Our study found Southern hospitality is no myth, as several states in the South claimed top spots in the ranking. Leading the way for the most polite people is Arkansas. Residents of the state earned a near-perfect score of 99.3 out of 100, as nearly 3 in 4 Arkansas residents say they find it very important to hold the door for others.

Coming in second place is Georgia where the only thing sweeter than the peaches are the people. When it comes to using people’s preferred titles or pronouns, 62% of Georgians view it as very important to respect their wishes, which contributes to their overall score of 98.9.

Rounding out our top three is Alabama with a score of 98.6 out of 100. Nearly 9 in 10 residents of the state say giving up their seat on public transportation to someone in need is important. In addition, it can be easy to let your polite demeanor slip when others are being rude, but 56% of Alabama residents say they remain polite regardless of others’ actions.


 

Overall, 72% of Americans say it’s extremely important to pick up after yourself in a public setting, while 1 in 2 make sure to always say “please” and “thank you” to others.

Thank you! 




On the other end of the spectrum, some states simply prioritize politeness less than others. Coming in first for the least polite states is Nevada with a score of 90.7. When waiting in line, 33% of Nevada residents say they are guilty of showing impatience by tapping their feet, sighing, or complaining.

Following behind in second and third place for least polite states are New Jersey and New York with scores of 90.8 and 91.0, respectively.